The curious case of Catania-based label Mhodì: it uses the internet, but pokes fun at it

Vasco Rossi, after "abdicating" as a rock star, proclaimed himself the first "social rocker." Jovanotti declared that a world without the internet is unthinkable to him. Fiorello planned the success of his show on Twitter. The success of Fiorello and Jovanotti is the clearest sign that Twitter is going mainstream.

If Facebook is the virtual piazza where you meet friends, Twitter has become a fully fledged news channel. It updates us in real time on revolutions in the Arab world, highlights the day's trending topics, and serves as a global space for debate.

But perhaps it is an overstatement to say you cannot live without the internet. I could live without it.

Argues Mario Venuti, one of the few Sicilian artists with a Twitter profile. Franco Battiato is totally absent. "Battiato and Carmen are a-social network," Venuti laughs, "they tend toward hermitage. I am not against social networks, but in the evening I prefer to go out to venues. I am a physical social being, not a virtual one."

The singularity of Mhodì

Remarkable is the story of Mhodì, a record label born in Catania. The internet is its field of action: YouTube to promote the videos and songs of its artists, Facebook to launch promotional campaigns.

The music market is now online. Records are sold on the web, most record stores are in crisis or closing down, iTunes is the go-to place for the latest releases. Communication has profoundly changed, and we too operate within the web.

However -- and here lies the singularity -- Mhodì's latest release is the song "Online" by the group Merce Fresca, made up of seven young musicians from Caltanissetta: an ironic and irreverent ska tune that pokes fun at cell phones, smartphones, tablets, and all the communication tools of the third millennium.

"I will find a better way to leave this digital world behind, I will find the strength to communicate using my heart again," sing Merce Fresca.

From Facebook to Sanremo

It was thanks to Facebook and the launch campaign that started last December that "Online" became a hit. On Wednesday, December 21, it entered the selection for new proposals at Sanremo 2012. Because this year, even the Festival has gone social.